This interactive session is designed to spark candid, peer-led discussion across the issues shaping Australia’s childcare real estate and operations in 2026—policy settings, safety and quality, workforce, approvals, prototype design, lease economics, capital and technology.
Attendees will participate in two 40-minute focused roundtable conversations, each facilitated by a subject-matter expert or experienced industry peer. Each roundtable will be capped to ensure open, practical dialogue. Session topics will be released in advance to support selection and preparation. A five-minute changeover will be provided between the two rotations.
Roundtable 1 – Unlocking Growth: Finance Strategies for Childcare Operators
Facilitated by: George Louca, Director & Owner, 3Lane Finance
Roundtable 2 – Designing Inclusive Outdoor Play spaces
Facilitated by: Madeleine Walding, Commercial Manager, Proludic
Roundtable 3 – Casual Workforce that Works: On-Demand Staffing Models for Quality and Cost Control
Facilitated by: Jessica Buddle, Co-Founder & GM, Z Staffing
Roundtable 4 – The Multi-Site Compliance Gap: Why What Works for One Centre Fails at Ten
Facilitated by: Martin Bing, Founder & CEO, 1Place
Roundtable 5 – Governing for Sustainable Growth: Board, Capital and Risk in Childcare
Facilitated by: Roseanne Healy, Independent Non-Executive Director, Mayfield Childcare
Roundtable 6 –Running High-Quality Centres: Financial Management, Operations and Leadership Alignment
Facilitated by: Nikki Prendergast, Owner & Managing Director, New Shoots Children’s Centres (NZ)
Roundtable 7 – Transitioning and managing your childcare centre(s) in the cloud: effective systems and reporting
Facilitated by: Matthew Knight, Founder & Director, Hopscotch Accounting
Roundtable 8 – Data-Driven Operations: Using Dashboards, KPIs and Benchmarking to Lift Quality and Profitability
Facilitators:
George Louca, Director & Owner, 3Lane Finance
Madeleine Walding, Commercial Manager & Landscape Architect, Proludic
Jessica Buddle, Co-Founder & GM, Z Staffing
Martin Bing, Founder & CEO, 1Place
Roseanne Healy, Independent Non-Executive Director, Mayfield Childcare
Matthew Knight, Founder & Director, Hopscotch Accounting
Nikki Prendergast, Owner & Managing Director, New Shoots Children’s Centres (NZ)